Waffle iron



Aplfil 9, 1929.

J. w. FIL-BEY WAFFLE IRON Filed oct. 7. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet lIIIIl BY Mm /ew ATTORNEY April 9, 1929. L w, F|| BEY 1,708,499

WAFFLE IRON Filed Oct. 7. 1926 v2 Sheets-Sheet 2 /umm H ll

mmw im Wim jw ATroRNEY Patented Apr. 9, 1929.

UNHTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN W. FILBEY, 0F W'RIGETSVILIE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO WRIGHTSVILLE HARDWARE COMPANY, OF WRIGHTSVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION 0F PENNSYLVANIA.

'WAFFLE IRON.

Application led October 7, 1926. Serial No. 139,967.

The present invention relates generally to cooking utensils and more particularly to an improved wae iron for rapid and thorough cooking of waflies and the like.

Vllaflies are generally baked, at the present time, in irons comprising a pair of plates having a series of parallel ribs extending in one direction and a second series of parallel ribs substantially perpendicular to the first series, to form pockets on the inner sides of the plates. When these surfaces are brought together to form 'a matrix for a waie, the pockets on the respective plates and likewise the ribs thereon are juxtaposed, the pockets forming thick and the ribs forming thin portions of the Waiiie. Such plates and other plates lnow in use have alternately thick and thin portions. lVhen heat is applied to these the variations in thickness increase the time y required for cooking and prevents uniform cooking. `Waflies of irregular thickness further increase the cooking period and the thin portions thereof tend to burn while the thick portions remain soggy due to insufficient cooking. In addition the sharp corners and projections in the plates cause the waffles vto stick thereto.

An object of the present invention is to eliminate the objections to the present forms of waffle irons by providing plates of substantially uniform thickness adapted to form waffles of substantially uniform thickness, thereby to afford rapid and uniform cooking.

Another object of the invention is to reduce the cooking period by providing an eX- ternal heating surface materially greater than the lateral area of the plates; and to minimize the tendency of the waffles to stick to the plates by eliminating the sharp corners and projections on the portions of the plates forming the matrix for the wafiie.

A further object of the invention is to provide a waiiie iron of minimum weight in which the manufacturing difficulties in molding, pouring, and cleaning the castings are substantially eliminated.

Other and further objects of the invention will be obvious upon an understanding ofthe illustrated embodiment about to be described or will be indicated in the appended claims, and various advantages other than those referred to herein will occur to one skilled in the art upon employment of the invention in practice.

A preferred embodiment of the inven V tion has been chosen for illustration and description and is shown in the accompany lng drawings, in which Fig. l is a perspective View of the waffle iron and base, with certain parts broken away to illustrate details thereof;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of one of the plates showing the inner side thereof;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of a portion of the waffle iron taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. l, with wailie removed;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 2, illustrating details of the waffle plate;

Fig. 5 is a detailed sectional View illustrating the pivotal attachment of the plates 0 each other and their mounting upon the ase;

Fig. 6 is a detailed plan view of a portion of the waffle resting upon one of the plates, showing the relative positions of the recesses in the waiiie formed by the projections on the upper and lower plates; v

Fig. 7 is a sectional View along line 7-7 of Fig. 6; and

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 7 with the plate removed showing a portion of the waflie in section.

Referring to the drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention, there is shown a waffle iron having a base l adapted to support a pair of wafie plates 2 and et pivotally secured to each other at the joint 6. The supporting base preferably comprises a circular casting flared at its lower part to rest upon a gas stove or other heating means and is sufficiently high to support the plates above the stove. On one side of the base is provided a pocket 7 adapted to receive the joint 6 and to fit snugly thereabout for preventing derangement of the plates caused by the separation of the joint, which may, for convenience,

,comprise a hemispherical male member 9 with an extension l0 fitting into the hemispherical female member ll. Diametrically p recess 16 in the upper rim of the base. The

plates may be turned to cook both sides of the waffle by raising the handles so that the weight of the plates rests upon the spherical joint 6 in pocket 7; whereupon the plates may be readily turned as desired.

)Projections 18 at the sides of the plates fits into recesses 19 on the rim of the base to retain the plates in theirl horizontal positions and the flat surfaces 23 adjacent the handles co-operate with the recessr16 properly to hold the plates in position on the base. An elongated projection 24 adjacent the handle 14 fits into a corresponding groove on the handle 15 to retain the plates in proper position with respect to each other.

Eachof the plates is divided preferably into quadrants by the perpendicular ribs 20 and 21.` The diametric quadrants A and A1, and B and B1 are preferably identical in construction in so faras thelo'cation of the projections 22 are concerned, while the adjacent quadrants such as A1 and B1, or' A1 and B have their projections staggered with respect to each other when superimposed; for example, if the plate shown in Fig. 2 should be considered folded upon either the rib 2O or the rib 21 the projections of the superimposed quadrants would be staggered with respect to each other, so that the projections on the upper plate would fit between the projections on the lower plate and vice versa.l

This is likewise true of the plate 4c which, when assembled with the plate 2 as shown in Fig. 1,A the quadrants corresponding to A, A1, Band B1 are turned through an angle of 90 degrees; In other words, the quadrants A and All fall where the B and B1 quadrants are shown in Fig. 2 when the plates are assembled. In this manner the projections in the respective plates are staggered so that the projections on one plate are intermediate the projections on the other plate when superimposed to form the matrix for a wallie.

The location of the projections on the respective plates is shown in Figs. 3, 6, 7 and 8 of the drawings. It will also be seen from these figures that the depressions on the respective sides of thc waffle are never adjacent each other. The projections 22 are always opposite the space between projections on the opposite plate. Illa-files formed by such an iron yare of substantially uniform thickness and at the same time the appearance of the old form of waffle is maintained.

4Such waffles may be cooked at a much more materially greater Varea than the lateral area of the plates. Uniforinty in'thickness and increased effective area of the exterior of the plates reduce greatly the period of time required to cook waffles. In addition the depressions in the plate reduce the amount of metal vused to a minimumV and likewise reduce the weight of the finished article, making it easier to handle kand minimizing freight and other charges in the distribution and the sale of the articles.

The projections and depressions in the plates are preferably curved as shown at 26 and 27 and free from sharp corners to facilitate molding and casting of the plates and also to facilitate removal of the mold sand. Further, the projections and pockets are substantial in'size and their Shape greatly facilitates theY removal of waffles and 'the elimination of their tendency to stick to the plates.

In the operati-on of the waffle iron the plates 2 and 4 on the supporting base 1 may be opened for the reception of batter by raising one of the plates about the joint G and thereafter the plates maybe closed as shown in Fig. 1. lVhen one side of the waffle has been cooked the plates may be turned by lifting the handles 14 and 15 sufficiently far to cause the edge of the plates to clear the stove as the plates are turned about the joint 6 in pocket 7 and lowered until the projection 18 reaches the recess 19 on the opposite side of the base. rIhe other side of the waffle is then cooked and the plates opened for the removal thereof.

It will accordingly be seen that an inexpensive waflle iron of minimum weight has been provided which may be readily manufactured from cast iron and the like. The plates and waffles are of substantially uniform thickness, both of which greatly facilitate rapid and uniform cooking throughout the waffle, thereby reducing the time required v therefor. This eliminates the chief objection to the present type of waffle irons. All parts ofthe device are rugged in construction and fully capable of withstanding the rough usage to which they may be subjected.

As various changes may be made in the above embodiment without departing from the spirit of the invention, it is to be understood thatV all'matter' set forthl herein is to vbe interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim: Y Y

1. lAs an articleof manufacture, a reversible waffle iron comprisingy a pair of plates, a plurality of projections on the inner sides of said plates, the ends ofsaid projections being spaced a substantial distance-from the inner side of the adjoining plate,'the outer sides of said plates having depressions adjacent said projections to provide plates of llO substantially uniform thickness throughout and to increase the effective heating surface of the plates, thereby to facilitate rapid and uniform cooking of Waffles.

2. As an article of manufacture, a reversible Waffle iron comprising a pair of cast iron` plates, the inner sides of said plates having projections, said projections being staggered With respect to each other to form a matrix for a vWaffle of substantially uniform thickness, the outer sides of said plates having depressions back of said projections to provide plates of substantially uniform thickness and to increase the effective heating surface of the plates.

3. As an article of manufacture, a reversible Waffle iron adapted for application of heat to the respective sides thereof, comprising a base, a pair of plates having projections on the inner sides thereof, flared at their base to facilitate casting, the projections on the respective plates being staggered to form a matrix' for a Wafile of substantially uniform thickness, and depressions on the outer sides of said plates beneath said projections to provide plates of uniform thickness With a maximum heating surface, said depressions being flared outwardly at their base to facilitate casting, and to prevent adherence of mold sand thereto.

4. As an article of manufacture, a reversible Waie Viron comprising a base having a pocket therein, a pair of plates having a pivoting joint housed in said pocket, projections on the inner sides thereof, rounded at their base to facilitate casting, the projections on the respective plates being staggered to form a matrix for a Waffle of substantially uniform thickness, and cavities on the other sides of said plates beneath said projections to provide plates of uniform thickness With a maximum heating surface, said cavities being rounded outwardly at their base to facilitate casting and to prevent adherence of mold sand thereto.

5. As an article of manufacture, a reversible waffle iron comprising a base having a pocket therein, a pair of cast iron plates of uniform thickness having projections on the inner sides thereof, and having a periphery adapted to form a part of the matrix, the projections on the respective plates being of less height than the periphery of the plates and being staggered to form a matrix for a Waffle of substantially uniform thickness, and a joint connecting said plates adapted to be housed in said pocket.

6. As an article of manufacture, a Wac iron comprising a pair of plates of uniform thickness, having a periphery adapted to form' a part of the matrix, said plates being divided into quadrants, each of said quadrants having a series of projections, the projections in diametric quadrants of each plate being positioned similarly and the position of the projections in adjacent quadrants of each plate being staggered with respect to each other, the project-ions on the respective plates being of less height than the periphery of the plates and being staggered with respect to each other to form a matrix for a Waflie of substantially uniform thickness.

JOHN W. FILBEY. 

